Busy, Busy, Busy!

We are so busy right now! We have so many projects going on that I am feeling massively overwhelmed. I do this to myself all the time. For most people, Halloween is coming up. My family doesn't celebrate Halloween. We host a Redwall Feast instead and celebrate the joy of friends and family. It's like a Thanksgiving feast but with costumes and party games. :) The costumes for this year's feast are almost done. I still need to finish the chemises for the girls. But after that, I do believe we'll be ready for the Redwall feast. For Christmas this year, I'm making my kids each a costume of their choosing. It's ok that the older two know that. We don't celebrate Christmas like everyone else, either. LOL We have our own family 'traditions'.

TheShi has been after me for a long time to make her a San costume. San is the wolf girl, aka Princess Mononoke, from the movie of the same name. If you haven't seen it yet, it's a good movie. Not for young kids, generally speaking, but a good movie all the same. So I have most of the pieces and parts that I'll need to complete the San costume.

Next up is Merle, the cat-girl from the animé and movie 'Escaflowne'. Not a great deal of work there but it will require more purchases. I find I'm lacking in the yellow-orange fabric that I need for the dress. And I'm also having trouble finding a pendant in the right shape, size and color. I'm thinking I'll end up making the pendant myself. Not hard, just more expense and more time. The hardest part of this one is going to be finding a pair of ears and a tail in the right colors.

Last and most definitely the 'piece de resistance'-Able Nightroad from the animé 'Trinity Blood'. If I can pull off /this/ costume, it will indeed be a great feat worthy of feeling proud of myself for the accomplishment. It's massive and grand. Leave it to my son to choose that particular costume. I never would have guessed in a million years he'd want /that/ one. He hasn't seen the animé, so far as I know but I'm sure there are clips on youtube. Regardless, I finally found patterns that I will only have to modify slightly. One is a Matrix pattern and the other a cloak from a vampire costume pattern. The rest of it will have to be completely my own imagination. I'm /hoping/ it will be done by Christmas but I'm thinking a better estimate might be birthday. I'll have to buy almost everything for this costume. Most of the black fabric I have is the wrong kind of fabric. But it will get done and hopefully I will not be shamed by my efforts. :)

Also going on the project front-a Sleuth Kit based loosely on the Nancy Drew sleuth kit. The girls and I are making a sleuth kit from scratch. I hope to post our materials and methods here when we are done, along with pictures of the completed project. Those should be finished this week sometime.

I'm still working on that boxchain I started a couple of weeks ago. I ran out of supplies so I just have to wait to get more. I should be able to finish it within a week of getting the supplies in. :)

It's a beautiful day! I started it with a headache but the headache is fading and I'm really thinking I'm going to enjoy this day. At least, I'll give it my best. I read a fabulous statement in an email newsletter this morning. I'll post it here. "The right thing isn't always the easy thing—especially in the midst of daily bickering and the responsibility of vigilance as both parent and teacher. It's a calling I don't take lightly, yet I know for now God wants me here. And
what I love about Him is that in the most necessary moments, He lifts me
up and swathes my heart in grace and joy. "The LORD gives strength to
his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace" (Psalm 29:11 NIV).~Lori Freeland" That's what homeschooling is like for me. So I thought I'd share it with as many people as I could. I know this could be applied to any calling! I got this from a Crosswalk email. I'm glad I didn't ignore that email today. :) Hope you all have a fabulous week! Laugh a lot!